Feeler mechanism for looms



Dec. 11 1923.

S. S. JACKSON FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15 Dec. 11, 1923. 1,477,126

s. s. JACKSON FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed June- 15. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1g. 2,

61. um. 5 a

' 7222672602"; wtnesss SWWLM CA7 orney.

hatented Dec. 11, 1923.

T ES

SIMEON s; Jackson, or nynnrnnx, rimsseonusrm'rs, AssI N'oit To THE smarronn PAT Wi COMPANY, (JP-BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION-or MASSACHUSETTS...

' FEELEB; MECHANISM FOR 1100318.

Application filed. June 15,

To all whom z't'mag concern: 7 Be it known that I, SiMnofN S.'JACKSQN, a subject of Great Britain, residing zit-Hyde- Park. Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain' plete exhaustion of the supply of weft or filling contained in the. working shuttle upon the lay of a loom. These mechanisms are usually contrived to indicate or call a change in the working of the loo-m, upon detecting that the progressive depletion of the said supply; has reached a stage decided upon as a minimums The said change involves in some cases automatic replenishment of theworking supply of weft or filling, in others, stoppage of the 100m alone,

The invention has relation more especially to .filling-feeler mechanisms of the measuring class. A filling-feeler of this class is arranged to call the predetermined change in the operation of the loo-m. when, through its measuring action, it has detected that-the residue of weft. or filling upon the bobbin or other filling carrier within the shuttlehas been reduced to the predetermined minimum thickness-at the point where the measuring action takes place. I 4 v The object of my invention is to provide an improved mechanism of the class just mentioned-which shall be accurate in its measuring of the weft or filling, certain and reliable in its action of calling a change at the corr ct time, formed of few parts,and

simple in construction.

My inventionconsists, briefly, in a fillingfeeler mechanism for-looms comprising, es.-v sentially, a controller for the means for calling a change, a reciprocating fillingengaging member, a horizontally-swinging datum-surface engaging member mounted on a pivot upon the filling-engaging member and having a so-called-transmittmg arm, and a control-lever, which may be a bellorank. mounted to rock or swing upon apivotal axis, usually; in connection with the feeler-stand, having one arm which controls 1922. Serial in. 568,511.

-thesaid controller and a'second arm which is engaged by the said transmitting arm,

along which the-latter arm slides idly while sufiicient weft or filling remains upon the shuttle, and against which said transmitting arm acts to move the control-levert-o bring about action of the controller to call 1 a change, when depletion of the supply of weft H or filling within the shuttle allows the datum-surface engaging member to be rotated through engagement of the datum-surface be the front surface of the shuttle-body, or

' therewith. The datum-surface utilized may p the front surface of the shuttle-box front.

The drawings show an illustrative embodiment of my invention.

Inthe drawings,- I

Fig. 1 is a top view of certain partsat one side of a loom, showing the-said illustrative embodiment of my invention mounted in operativepos tlon uponits stand at the corresponding'end of the breast-beam,

the lay being'back and the vparts 'of the' feeler-mechanism being in their normal. posi-v tions.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesaidoparts, partly in section on line 2,2, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the feeler-mecha-..

nism and associated parts of Figs. 1 and 2. The different views of the drawings show only small portions of the breast-beam I andlay-beam Qof a loom, 3 being the frontmechanism, and 4 a shuttle occupying the saidzshutt-le-boxj The said front-plateand the front wall. of the shuttle have. the usual openings 3?, P, to permit. entrance of thefilling-engaging portion 5 of the feeler mechanismas the lay beats up, to provide the outer endof a main supporting stand 9 plate of the shuttle-box upon" that end of the lay-beam which is adjacent the feelerextending outward from the breast-beam...

At 5 is a .slide constituting in this instance the filling-engaging member or element, arranged, etc.,fto I'GCGlVG against its rear end the pressure of the wound mass 6 of weft or filling contained within the shuttle l. Alt 8 is a guideway provided upon the feelerstand, in which the slide 5 is placed and within which it is adapted to'reciprocate' in the feeling action. At. 5 is theusual forwardly-extending reduced extension or tail of the slide 5, working in a hole through an upstanding portion 8 of the forward part of stand 8. At 8 is the usual cap or coverplate bridging the guideway, holding the slide down therein, and secured in place by screws 8 8 The spring-tension by which the filling-engaging member or element 5 is held normally in its rearward position, and is returned to that position after having been pushed forward in a feeling action by the shuttle-contained weft or filling as'the lay beats up, is applied in the illustrated instance by means'of an expanding spiral spring 10 surrounding the reduced forward extension 5 of the member or element 5, be-

tween the body of the latter and the upstanding portion' 8 of the stand 8. Other forms of filling engaging members or elements and supporting means, etc., therefor known in the art are adapted to be employed,

A well-known form of rocking controller is shown combined with the feeler device to enable the latter to call the change-calling mechanism into action, comprising a rockshaft 11 that is ournaled in bearings 11*,

11 with which the main supporting stand 9 is provided, and an arm 12 fixed upon the inner end'of the said rockshaft and connect ing with the device-through which a change in the operation of the loom is called. These dev ces, as illustrated, are of customary character, comprising a latch or dog 14 connected pivotally with an upstanding arm 15 of the usual controlling rockshaft 20, Figs. 2 and 3, the said 'controllingrockshaft in practice being connected operatively with the replenishing or stopping instrumentali ties of the loom. The arm 12 is connected by a link 13 to the latch or dog 14, whereby the engagement of the tooth 14:8,Fig. 1, of the latch or dog by the shoulder 17* of the vibrating weft-hammer or gooseneck 17 is controlled by the angular .position' of the controller -rockshaft l1. usually is the case, the angular position'of the controllerrockshaft is determinedthrough .the action of the feeler-members or elements, in accord ance with the invention the controller is controlled by the special means which is explained later herein. Referring now to-the features in which the invention more especially rcsides:

The filling-engaging member or element 5 bears at apoint intermediate of its length a fixed vertical pivot 56, Fig; 1, upon which is rotatably mounted a secondary member 18 in the form of a small bell-crank provided with an adjustable tipl8 conveniently constituted of a screw, said screw projecting rearwardly from the laterally-extending arm 18 of the said bell-crank so that its rear end is adapted to be ensraged by the datum-surface carried by the lay. In the tion, and thereby determine the'normal presentation position of the tip 18.

trol-member or lever intermediate the secondary member and the controller. In the The secondary member 18 is furnished with a second arm, 18, which may be called a transmitting arm, which acts upon and reciprocally is acted upon by a rocking. conv illustrated embodiment of the inventionthe control-member is a horizontally-swinging r bell-crank l9, which is mounted by means of a pivot 19 upon a stationary support con-- stitutedbythe cap or cover-plate 8.- The bell-crank 19 has a rearwardly-extending arm with which transmitting arm '18" of r the secondary member 18 engages, so that through such engagement the control-memher or lever keeps the secondary member 'in presentation position, and conversely the secondary member 'actuates the controlmember or lever to control the controller, as

when a change is called through the action of the feeler-mechanism. In this illustrative embodiment of the invention, therear wardly-extending armof the control-mem her or lever is furnished with a contact-sur- I facejl9 paralleling the'path in which the filling-engaging member or element 5' reciprocates, andalon'g which the said forwardly projecting transmitting arm 18"v of the secondary member 18 slides in the reciprocat 111g movements of'feeler-member or element 5. The said bell-crank 19 also has a trans;

versely-exte'nding arm which is in engagement with a finger 20 or other form of crank-arm upon the controllerrockshaft 11.

to keep the latch or dog'l l of the change- In this instance the controller is actuated calling devicesout of the range of action of shoulder 17 of theweft-ha'mmenl'i by" means of a contracting spiral spring 21 that extends from the upstanding portion 8 of the stand 8 to the transversely-extending arm of bell-crank 19. By the tension of this spring 21, the transversely-extending arm of bellc'rank19 is held normally in its forward position, and the rearWardly-extending arm is urged inwardly of the loom." In this position of bell-crank 19 the said trans-- versely-extending arm through engagement with the pin 20 serves tokeep the controller i in position to uphold the latch or dog 14 as out of ran e-for the vibrating warms-a or gooseneck 171 In't'his position of-fthe bell-crank 19, also, the. pressure of it'srearwar'dly-extending arm upon the extremity of transmitting'a'rm '18 "of"'the secondary member 18"operates' to hold said "secondary member in its presentation i'position, "with the contact-tip'lS"extendingre'arwardly.

In the normal operation ofthe'loom, while the shuttle-contained bobbin holds a-jsufiicient' supply of weft or filling, the "forward beat of the'lay'carri'es this'supply ofweft or filling into contact with the 'fil1ing-engaging member or element 5 ',"whic'h enters the shuttle through thecustomary opening 3 in the front-plate and: Opening a in the front-wall of the shuttle. The contact-portion or tip '18?upon"the secondary member 18 mounted upon" the filling-engaging portion' '5, is designed to'enter within the "open the latter about its pivot. As the lay-beam goes rearwardly, and the filling-engaging member or element 5 travels rearwardly into its presentation position again, under the impulse of its spring 10, the arm 18 of the secondary member 18 slides rearwardly along the surface 19 of the bell-crank 19 without any change of position of such parts 18 and 19 about their respective pivots, and the loom continues to work without change.

As the shuttle-contained weft-supply diminishes, and the diameter of the wound mass decreases, the filling-engaging member or element 5 penetrates more and more deeply within the shuttle to reach the surface of the wound mass, until it arrives at a point where the contact-portion or tip 18 of the secondary member comes in contact with the surface of the shuttle, or other surface with which it is designed to engage. Under the forward push of this surface, the said contact-member or tip 18 slips sidewise thereupon, due to its offset position with relation to the pivot 56, so that the secondary member 18 rotates about this pivot. The forwardly-extending transmitting arm 18 of the secondary member thereby is swung outwardly, pushing outwardly the rearwardly-extending arm of bell-crank 19, and thereby swinging the transverselyextending arm of the bell-crank rearwardly leaves? the controller free to rotate under the weight of the latch or "dog let, and the tooth le lof the; latter descends into the path of oscillationof'the shoulder 17? of the vibrating'weft-hammer or gooseneck- 17 so 'asto be 'engagedby the said shoulder and carr ed forward so as to operate the changecalling means to stop the loom orcall a change in" its i working.

The adjustment provided by the I screw jthrea'ded' engagement of the tip 1'8 with the secondary member 18 enables the devices to be set'to call a change at any desired stage in'the depletion of the wound mass, of filling, By varying the distance of the rear end of said tip 1'8 forward of th'e'rear end "of the filling-engaging member or element 5, the contact of the said tip with the datum-' surface may be set to occur with a shallow or 'a deep penetration of the filling-engag.

ing portion into the shuttle, asma y loe'dej v sired;

What is claimed as 1. F illing-feeler mechanism for loomsthe invention is, 1 7

comprising a controller'for-"the means'for calling a change,-a reciprocating filling-en? r gaging member; a llOIlZOntilllYfiWlIlglIlg datum-surface engaging member mounted on aplvot upon the filling-engaging member and having a forwardly-promoting arm,

and a bell-crank mounted to, Swi'ng'horizontally around a pivotal axis, having one arm in operative engagement with the said controller and the other provided with a lateral face along which the said forwardlyprojecting arm slides idly While sufficient weft remains within the shuttle, and against which said forwardly-projecting arm acts to move the bell-crank and bring about action of the controller to call a change when depletion of the weft allows the datum-surface engaging member to be rotated through engagement of the datum-surface therewith.

2. Filling-feeler mechanism for looms comprising a controllerfor the meansjfor calling a change, a reciprocating filling-engaging member, a horizontallyswinging datum-surface engaging member mounted on a pivot upon the filling-engaging member and having a transmitting arm, and a con-' trol-lever having an arm which controls the said controller and a second arm engaged slidingly with the said transmitting arm,

along which second arm the transmitting arm slides idly while sufficient Weft remains within the shuttle, and through which the swinging movement of the said transmitting arm acts to move. the control-lever to bring about action of the controller and thereby call a change when depletion of the supply v of weft allows the shuttle-engaging mem-; I

her to be rotated through engagement of the shuttle therewith.

3. Filling-feeler mechanism for"'1ooms,

comprising a controller for the means for calling a change, a bell-crank controlling the controller,and a reciprocating feeling-mem her having a filling-engaging element and a rockable datum-engaging element, the latter traveling idly lengthwise of one arm of the bell-crank during the normal workingofthe feeler-mechanism, rocked through impinga ment of the datum-surface thereagainst, and, in rocking, pressing. againstthe said bell-crank arm to rotate the bell-crank and thereby bring about rocking of the controller to call a change. V

4. Filling-feeler mechanism' for looms,

comprising a controller for the means for calling a change, a bell-crank controlling the 7 controller, and a reciprocating feeling-member having a filling-engaging element and a rocka'ble datum-engaging element, thelatter traveling idly lengthwise of one arm of the bellcrank during the normal WOIklIlg feeler-mem'ber mounted to reciprocate fori Wardly and rearwardly, and which entersfthe shuttle in the feeling action and contacts with the shuttle contents, a secondary member carried by said feeler-member adapted to tion adapted to be engaged by a surface external of the shuttle, and also having aforwardly projecting arm, a horizontallyswing transversely, having a contact-pen swinging 'bell-crank pivoted upon a station:- 7 a ry support having a rearwardly-extending arm furnished with a'contact surface parv alleling the path in which the feeler-member reciprocateav. and along which the said forwardly-projecting arm of the contact-- member slides in the reciprocating move.-

ments of the feeler-member, said bell-crank v also having a transversely-extending arm,

a controller for the change mechanism in engagement with the said transversely-extending arm, and aspring holding the 'con troller in normal position and acting through the said bell-crank to keep the said upon the feeler-member.

55- secondary member normally positioned In testimony whereof I aflix my'signature in presence of'two witnesses.

SIMEON s. JACKSON,

\Vitncss'es CHAS. F. RANDALL, ELLEN 0. SPRING. 

